Passion and compassion — two sides of Jay Cutler

As demonstrated at Vanderbilt, Bears QB a fiery competitor who also exhibits a gentle edge

November 03, 2012|By Vaughn McClure, Chicago Tribune reporter

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler runs for four yards against the Panthers during the second half. (Nuccio DiNuzzo/Tribune Photo)

Jay Cutler and Trey Holloway lost touch after their playing days at Vanderbilt. But years later, Cutler still managed to touch Holloway's heart.

In February 2011, Holloway's 22-year-old brother, Wilson, died after a three-year bout with Hodgkin's lymphoma. Wilson was an offensive tackle at Tulsa and a high school basketball teammate and close friend of Clippers star Blake Griffin.

Although Wilson's story later was publicized nationally, Trey Holloway didn't share the devastating news immediately. But somehow, Cutler became aware almost instantaneously.

"Jay sent flowers to my mom's house in Oklahoma,'' Holloway recalled. "It was good to know that even though we hadn't talked on the phone for a while, he was thinking about me and my family at that point in our lives. To know that he still thought about you makes you feel a lot better about things.''

Holloway, Cutler's former center and now a consultant in the Washington area, witnessed the compassionate side of the Bears quarterback long ago. The day after Christmas 2004, Vanderbilt starting running back Kwane Doster was shot and killed in his hometown of Tampa, Fla. Cutler was home in Santa Claus, Ind., at the time.

Holloway remembered how Cutler rallied the team captains and encouraged players to return to Nashville, Tenn., immediately. The NCAA allowed Vanderbilt a special exemption for the team to take a charter to Doster's funeral. More than 60 players made the trip.

"That was a tough situation for the whole team,'' Holloway said. "A lot of people don't remember this but there was discussion that Jay could leave early to go to the NFL. He ended up deciding to stay, which worked out great for him in the long run. That was a really big boost for that team, to know that we're going to have our quarterback back after going through that tough holiday period.''

The Bears' return to Nashville on Sunday to face the Titans is certain to bring back some fond memories for Cutler. He downplayed the homecoming during his weekly news conference. But the 29-year-old quarterback offered a different perspective about returning to familiar surroundings when the topic was raised during a conference call with Nashville-area reporters.

"To get back to Nashville and see some people I haven't seen in a while, it'll be a good time,'' Cutler said.

Holloway knows how special the Music City is to his former college roommate. It's no secret Cutler owns a home there and frequents the area during the offseason.

"What appealed to him was that it's a little bit of a bigger place (than his hometown) but it also has that country feel to it,'' Holloway said. "You could get outside of the city from campus and it looked a lot like where he was from.

"(Also,) even though he was big-time college player there and is now a starting quarterback in the NFL, he can kind of blend in there. They have all the country music stars. People are just used to seeing country music folks. And he can go there and people will see him, but they're not going to bother him.''

Bears receiver Earl Bennett, who played one season with Cutler at Vanderbilt, couldn't confirm that Cutler was inconspicuous in Nashville. But Bennett quickly became aware of how his friend was received despite the Commodores' football futility.

Cutler won just 11 games in 45 starts. He left the school a winner after his touchdown toss to Bennett on his final pass led Vanderbilt to a 28-24 triumph over Tennessee — the program's first victory over the Volunteers in 23 years.

"We really didn't go out a lot because I was a freshman and he was a senior, but I know the city loved Jay,'' Bennett said. "What he brought to Vanderbilt and what he did there his five years was awesome. That city really embraced him.''

Larry Leathers, Vanderbilt's sports information director, who started working at the school at the same time Cutler came in, agreed with Bennett's assessment.

"The people here absolutely love him because he showed remarkable determination and toughness,'' Leathers said. "There is a lot of respect in this community for him. And the community doesn't know him much more than Chicago does. That's just not who Jay Cutler is. He doesn't let people in that much.''

Holloway saw a side of Cutler few others did.

When he first entered Vanderbilt as a defensive lineman, Holloway figured David Koral, a highly touted recruit from California, would be the quarterback leading Vanderbilt for years to come. Then the kid from Indiana who had a scholarship offer from the University of Illinois rescinded showed up.

Koral transferred to UCLA after Vanderbilt went through a coaching change. Players then gravitated to Cutler, who showed his rare ability in practice and displayed leadership skills despite being an underclassman.